Keeping the end in mind

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Samford University Chapter’s Building Tomorrow Focus Week 2013

When it comes to logistics, the Samford University chapter of Building Tomorrow is a study in perseverance and the importance of remembering your goal.

Here at Samford, we are still hammering out the specifics and navigating the bureaucracy of becoming an on-campus organization. In the last year, we have battled paperwork, red-tape and logistical road-blocks. At the same time, we have been trying to build a dedicated group of chapter members that are interested in joining us in the fight to end the education crisis in Uganda.

The combination of these two realities has made for a frustrating first year, but this frustration forces me to constantly remind myself as a chapter leader, and remind my fellow chapter members, the purpose behind these efforts. As difficult and frustrating as battling the logistics has been—I still get to go to class in sturdy brick buildings every single day, and I have for the last 15 years of my life. I try to constantly picture the students of the current BT Academies, as well as those we hope to reach in the future through our chapter’s efforts. I am humbled by their determination to pursue an education, and this gives me the motivation to continue.

Finally, after more than a year of struggling, we were able to organize what we termed a “Focus Week” for our chapter of Building Tomorrow. We hosted a tent at the Homecoming Football Tailgate, screened Girl Rising, and sold chapter t-shirts—all to build our member base, and to raise as much money as possible before the end of the semester. We hosted these events as part of the greater International Education Week, and focused our efforts around a BT Academy motto, “Remember, today was built yesterday.”

These events, while perhaps miniscule in comparison to Bike to Uganda, raised more awareness and brought us more extremely interested individuals than anything we have done previously, and for that, it was worth it.

We look forward to the spring, hoping to move on to bigger and better events, more invested members, and fulfilling our commitment – “Classroom by Commencement.”

Samford is Building Tomorrow. Will You?

-Emily Featherston
Samford University
Building Tomorrow Chapter President

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